Key holder



April 18, 1939. G. J. HowE KEY HOLDER Filed Dec. 8, 1937 I{` \\\I\ IIIIIIIIII. (l

j VWM/vbo@ 6550565 .Ho W5 Patented Apais, 192.9V L l. A 2,155,014

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY HOLDER George J. Howe, Grove City, Pa.

Application December 8, 1937, Serial No. 178.807

2 claims. (ci, 15o-4o) v This invention relates to key holders, and more properseparated relation to minimize the thickparticularly to a holder adapted to containa pluness of the holder whereby it may be more readily rality of keys and formed of a shape and size carried in the pocket. which permits it to be readily slipped into the A further object is to provide a rubber or 5 pocket. similar relatively heavy elastic body provided on 5 There are a number of types of key yholders beopposite sides thereof with elastic strips or the ing manufactured and sold, most of which are like to form pockets, the relatively heavy body formed of leather and are provided with hooks having each side thereof cooperating with the or similar members adapted to be secured to the adjacent strips to form the pockets referred to.

individual keys. Such holders are disadvanta- Other objects and advantages of the invention 10 gecus for a number of reasons. For example, all will become apparent during the course of the of the keys are contained in the same compartfollowing description.

ment, thus making it more difficult to select the In the drawing I have shown one embodiment proper key, and it frequently occurs that the of the invention. In this showing:

keys becomes entangled with each other. More- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device, 15 over, these devices are commonly made of-leather Figure 2 is a face View of the device showing and after a relatively short period of use, the the pockets at one side of the device in section, leather loses its elasticity and becomes so soft Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as to render the use of the holder quite difficult. on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and,

An important object of the present invention Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional '20 is to provide a novel key holder formed of rubber view on line 4-4 of Figure 1. or other similar elastic material which retains Referring to the drawing, the numeral Ill its original form and condition over long periods designates the body of the device which is prefof time. erably formed of relatively -heavy flexible rubber,

A further ObJ'eCt iS to provide a device of the the-body preferably being substantially rectangu- 25 character referred to wherein the keys are lar in shape-as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each adapted t0 be placed in separate pockets, thus side of the body is provided with a plurality of facilitating the Withdrawal 0i any Single key. highly ncxible rubber strips Il, which are sub- A further Object is to provide a key hOldel stantially thinner than the body I0 to provide formed of elastic material such as rubber and y@relatively high degree of elasticity,k VThese 30 DIOVdEd With a Series 0f DOCketS WhCh tend i0 strips are arranged substantially in edge to edge remain snugly in closed position, thus frictionalrelation as Shown in Figure 1 and each cooper- 1y engaging the keys and maintaining them in ates with the adjacent face of the body lo to position in the pockets without the necessity for form a pocket for receiving the key in a, manner providing fastening means of any kind in the to be described- 35 DOCke'GS- Each strip I l may be secured only at its upper A further Object is t0 provlde a key holder of and lower ends to the body IU and may be initialthe type referred to formed'of a relatively heavy 1y molded integral with the body or may be Vul rupber or Slmllar body port10n-and one or mre canized thereto to form an integral construction.

i0 thmner and more hlghly flemme rubbe? sums Each strip Il however preferably has one Ver- 40 secured to the body and defining in conJunction t ical edge portion l2 molded integral with or therewith pockets for receiving the keys, the 1 d t th b d o h b h t- H more highly liexible strips being adapted to be Vu Camz@ 0 e 0 y ,W er@ y eac s rip ll utwardl to rovide access to the forms a pocket which S Open Only at One verreadlly pu ed o y p tical edge. It will be apparent that the body I0 :D keisfurther object is to provide in a device of has ODDOS@ faces thereOf Cooperating With the the character referred to a series of elastic pock- ODpOSi@ SIDS H t0 fOIm the key receiving DOCkets arranged with respect to each other so as to ets. permit free access to the individual pockets and As shown in the drawing, each pocket is ;0 numbered so as to permit the user to readily adapted to receive a key I3. Since the strips Il 50 locate the key which he desires to use. normally lie flat against the adjacent faces of the A further object is to eliminate the entangling body i0, ihi HSGIOD Of a key I3 in one of the of the keys with supporting hooks or similar depockets SireCheS the aSSOCaiJed Strip il suffivices, thus rendering each key readily removciently to cause the inner surfaces of the strip able from its pocket, and holding the keys in to frictionally engage the key and hold it in the u pocket in the absence of any other holding means.

If it is desired to fasten the keys with respect to the holder to eliminate completely detachirlg the keys therefrom, each pocket may be provided with a loop I4 arranged therein as shown in Figure 3. with or vulcanized to the holder and is adapted to receive a chain I5, preferably in the form of a conventional ball chain having a socket member I6 for securing the ends of the chain to each other.

The pockets may be provided with suitable indicia I'I, such as the numbers shown in Figure 1, whereby the individual key pockets maybe identied. The indicia may be raised to permit them to be read by day and to'permit them to be identified by the sense of .feel at night,

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. Each key may be entirely free of positive connection with rthe holder and held in frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of its pocket. This frictional engagement prevents accidental loss of the key from the pocket, but the `nature `of the holder permits the key to be readily vremoved when vdesired. Removal of the key iseffected merely by slipping one finger under the free edge of the pocket strip I I, pulling outwardly thereon, and then engaging the key with the finger and removing it from the pocket.

As previously stated, attaching means may be employed for preventing complete disconnection of the keys from the holder. Since the keys are arranged in'individual pockets, it Will be apparent that the keys and chains ofthe diierent pockets cannot become entangled with each other. Moreover, since each key will remain in the position in which it is placed in itsassociated pocket due to the frictional engagement of the surface of the pocket with the key, it is impossible for any key to becomeentangled with/its chain I5,

Tne indicia lI"I permits identiiication of the key contained in each pocket, either Yby day or night, whereby the user is readily Vpermitted to vwithdraw the proper Lkey. The indicia Ymay be molded directly onto ythefstrips II if desired, but it will be apparent that any other suitable form of indicia may be used.

The body portion I0 is not suiciently thick to Each loop may be molded integral.

render the device excessively thick but is suciently thick to maintain the normal shape of the device to facilitate its being placed in and removed from the pocket. In the form of the device illustrated, six keys may be held in a container of relatively small size. It will be apparent that any number of key pockets may be provided, as desired, It also will be apparent that the device is adapted to be manufactured without the use of metal, or of any lother material except rubber or similar elastic material, thus greatly simplifying the device and permitting it to be economically manufactured.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described may be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement Iof parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A key holder comprising a relatively thick elastic body and a rrelatively thin elastic closure element formed integral with each other at spaced edge portions of said elastic element whereby said element forms with said body a key receiving pocket, said elastic element having one edge free of said body to permit .it to be pulled vaway from said body whereby a key may be inserted vinto and removed from said pocket, and an elastic key securing loop arranged in said pocket and formed ,integral with said body and said elastic element.

2. A key holder comprising a relatively thick elastic body, a plurality Yof relatively thin elastic f elements arranged approximately in edge to edge relation against each face of said body, each elastic member being formed integral with said body and secured thereto along at least two spaced edges and 4coolfierating with the adjacent face of said body to form a key receiving pocket, a free edge of each elastic element being adapted to be pulled outwardly away from said body whereby a key maybe inserted into and removed from the associated pocket and an elastic vkey securing loop arranged in each pocket and formed integral with said body and with the .associated elastic element.

GEORGE J. HOWEI. 

